The Night Cat
by PawfulOfSugar
Summary: StoneClan's medicine cat receives a prophecy about a cat with the power to lead the ranks of StarClan. Will the night cat be able to control his powers? Will he be able to protect the clans against the foretold darkness or fall victim to his own doubts?


Chapter 1

A forest teeming with prey formed around Weaselheart as her paws carried her along an unknown path. Beyond the bushes and brambles of the terrain, tall trees pierced the sky with leafy branches. She navigated her way as if it were her own territory, swerving away from holes and roots and eventually coming to an old fox's den. Weaselheart crawled down steadily, digging her claws into the soil to ensure her safety. When her paws finally found level ground, she padded forward into the darkness.

A she-cat with soft, white fur emerged from the shadowy depths and sat before Weaselheart. Her starry pelt cast a faint light and revealed to Weaselheart that she was no longer in a fox's den, but in a large cave.

"Winterpelt." Weaselheart finally dipped her head to the small she-cat. "You needed to speak with me?"

"No," the former medicine cat mewed in reply, her voice echoing eerily. "I need to show you something."

Suddenly, Winterpelt disappeared and the cave was covered in darkness once more. Mute whispers bounced off the walls as silhouetted cats wove around Weaselheart, their starry pelts brushing lightly against hers although they didn't seem to notice her. At the sound of a sharp yowl, they all stood still and gazed in the same direction. A small, dark tom was standing on a raised ledge, his sharp oliver gaze raking the league of cats assembled below him. "Cats of StarClan, unite!"

This cat commands StarClan?

"Yes," a calm voice spoke from beside her, surprisingly close to her ear. Weaselheart's heart leaped at the sound of the achingly familiar voice, desperately hoping that her ears were not deceiving her. Since her sister had passed away moons ago defending her clan against rogues, Weaselheart had never spotted her in StarClan's ranks. She dared a furtive glance to the right, trying her best to avoid missing StarClan's vivid scene. Her heart numbed with relief as she caught a glance of the familiar bold orange eyes and silky black pelt.

"Ravenwing," Weaselheart mouthed in wonder.

The slender she-cat simply nodded in reply, her eyes still affixed to the leader. Just then, the dark cat let out another battle cry and leaped to the front of the crowd. With another command, he led the cats confidently out through the tunnel, with Weaselheart keeping up with Ravenwing at the rear. Her sister's body felt surprisingly solid against Weaselheart as they ran side by side along the thin, suffocating paths of the underground tunnel towards a faint light. Just as Weaselheart thought her paws would collapse beneath her with the tremendous effort, the StarClan cats broke the surface and a blinding light cut through her vision. Weaselheart turned around frantically, trying to identify her surroundings but the forest had disappeared, leaving a completely greyed out landscape. Not a few heartbeats had passed before the soft patter of pawsteps alerted Weaselheart to an approaching cat. Winterpelt once again emerged from the shadows, her long white fur flowing in a sudden gentle breeze.

_When the night cat roars, stones will tremble and trees will fall._

* * *

Skate trudged on resiliently despite the cool forest floor numbing his paws. He took in a short painful breath before shooting a quick glance at his injured leg. His black fur was tinged red where that scourge's claws had pierced his skin. He winced and tried his best to banish the memory from his thoughts; as a sole traveler, he had to keep moving forward. He wasn't expected to stay in one place for too long. Why had he disobeyed his one law?

The growing smell of a well-marked scent border made Skate's nose wrinkle. Disgusting. But just as he changed his route to veer away from the border, he heard an almost inaudible whisper.

"Cat."

Skate's muscles tensed as he looked around wildly. His chances were slim if it came to a fight, but he might be able to escape quickly enough if he were clever. His aching leg throbbed with a piercing pain as he forced himself to place it on the ground. His enemy needn't know about his injury.

"You're hurt." The voice was calm and direct. Skate extended his claws in anticipation, baring his teeth and letting out a low growl to feign that he was prepared for a fight.

A slender she-cat emerged from behind a tree a few fox-lengths away. She was on the other side of the scent marker but even from that distance Skate could tell that her brilliant blue eyes were bright with amusement. "Come over here and let me help you."

Skate snorted. "Yeah, and get ambushed?" He lashed his tail and turned around, trying his best not to show his limp. He cursed the snooty she-cat under his breath as he trotted carelessly through the undergrowth, layering new scratches on his already crisscrossed pelt. When he started hearing muffled pawsteps behind him, Skate whipped around and swiped a sheathed paw where he thought the cat's head would be. Sure enough, the same she-cat was standing right there, a wad of leaves clamped tightly in her jaws. She ducked nimbly, easily avoiding the sluggish blow, and placed the bundle on the floor.

"These are herbs," she stated matter-of-factly, completely unfazed.

"I'm well aware," Skate retorted. "But I can fend for myself." He caught the scent of mouse on the wind and began following it, hoping that the she-cat would leave him alone.

"You're heading into RainClan territory now. I don't suggest you hunt around here. Please, just sit. Your leg is bothering me." When the she-cat wasn't graced with a reply she continued: "My name is Dusk. Pleased to meet you too."

"What is RainClan?" Skate queried, trying to sound uninterested. In fact, his mind was reeling. He had thought this forest would be home to numerous cats but the prospect of an entire clan made him nervous. Perhaps he should let this weird she-cat help him before he left again. He should be able to make it in the streets…

"Oh, RainClan? They're pretty weird," Dusk meowed dismissively as she scoured Skate's pelt for injuries. Skate watched her warily as she chewed up the dried leaves and licked them onto his leg. After she applied the poultice onto a few more minor fresh wounds, her deft paws parted the fur on Skate's neck and she let out a disapproving clicking noise. With a quick, sharp movement, she clawed at the loose fur and a tick flew out, landing at Skate's paws. He felt his fur grow hot in embarrassment.

"Thanks," he muttered ungraciously before rising unsteadily to his paws. The black and white she-cat made no move to stop him and Skate sighed with relief. He'd just have to be more careful next time. You're better than this –

"Duskpaw!"

Skate immediately flung himself into a nearby bush, silently wishing that his leg had already healed. He cocked his ears to pick up the conversation – the new cat sounded older than them, and much, much angrier.

Without moving, Dusk innocently addressed the newcomer. "Yes, Weaselheart?"

"For StarClan's sake, Duskpaw, what are you doing outside of Clan territory?" the new cat hissed, cuffing the younger cat around the ear. Dusk winced but refused to move a single pawstep.

"I wanted to explore, that's all," she mewed nonchalantly. Skate edged away slowly, grateful that Dusk was distracting the older she-cat. However, his fur got caught on a stray twig and when he tugged at it, the whole bush quivered.

"Uh huh?" Weaselheart mewed casually. She walked slowly up to Skate's bush and leaped on him as he tried to make a wild dash at the last minute. "You can't get anywhere with that leg," she remarked. Turning her gaze to Dusk, she added seriously, "Don't tell me you took pity on him. Loners can be dangerous."

The young she-cat's eyes glittered with pleasure. "Just following the warrior code. Never neglect a kit in danger, right?"

"Hey!" Skate hissed. He butted Weaselheart's chest, but she was very much heavier than he and wouldn't budge. He bit down hard on her forepaw, but she only recoiled for a few heartbeats, not long enough for an injured cat to make his escape. Weaselheart proceeded to grab Skate by the scruff and dragged him a few fox-lengths, only to drop him mercilessly onto the floor.

"Come on, walk. I'm not dragging you the whole way," Weaselheart meowed. Upon receiving incredulous stares from both young cats she continued: "Yes, we are taking him back to StoneClan, Duskpaw."

"I didn't agree to this!" Skate mewed lamely. He knew he had no choice in the matter; he couldn't escape or fight back.

Weaselheart set a quick pace back to the scent border but the younger she-cat slowed down to match Skate's faltering gait. He cast a sidelong glance at Dusk, silently hoping that she'd let her guard down after he'd allowed her to examine his pelt, but she still hung slightly behind him and her ears were sharply pricked.

"So I guess it's Duskpaw," Skate commented awkwardly. "Weird name."

"Technically, yes. And don't worry, I'm sure you'll make lots of friends in StoneClan."

Her haughty tone made Skate want to claw her ears off; he barely restrained himself.

"And what's your name?" she queried, flicking her tail against his side.

"I go by Skate."


End file.
